Homeland and Other Stories

by Barbara Kingsolver

Paperback, 2003

Status

Available

Publication

HarpPeren (2003), 256 pages

Description

New York Times bestselling author Barbara Kingsolver delivers a collection of 12 original tales in Homeland and Other Stories that are every bit as emotionally resonant, humorous, and heartfelt as her much-beloved novels. In settings ranging from eastern Kentucky to northern California and the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, Barbara Kingsolver uses her distinctive voice and vast knowledge of human nature to address some of her favorite themes: the importance of personal and cultural heritage; how the past effects the present and the enduring power of love. Kingsolver's characters, many single mothers, struggle to make sense of their lives and find meaning in a difficult world. Praised for her memorable characters and poetic prose, Kingsolver again proves why she is a literary force to be reckoned with. This edition includes a P.S. section with additional insights from the author, background material, suggestions for further reading, and more.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member barefeet4
Not as good as her novels but, like her longer works believable stories about real people. In some ways these stories remind me of Steinbeck's short stories.
LibraryThing member Rachelraquel
some wonderful stories inside this book. very strong mother theme.
LibraryThing member juniperSun
Mixed bag. I think Kingsolver is a better novelist than a short story writer. A number of these stories are brief glimpses of ordinary people's lives, with no great insight, tales of how much we love someone despite disagreements.
"Homeland" was great: told by a young girl, remembering her Indian
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grandma, learning the right way to act. GranMam's reaction to the trip to Cherokee is telling.
"Bereaved Apartments" is a good study of what dishonesties we are willing to close our eyes to, and a sympathetic portrait of an ex-con young woman.
"Jump-Up Day" is an interesting story about an orphan in the Caribbean who meets up with an obeah man.u
"Why I Am A Danger To The Public" tells of a woman strike leader, and how the corporation treats the workers with contempt.
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LibraryThing member RBeffa
This collection of stories made for interesting reading but I don't think they will stick with me at all. I seem to prefer Kingsolver's novels. I read these stories one at a time over the course of several weeks. They are rather gloomy or something like that and one at a time was manageable.
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Several stories underwhelmed me, and several I thought were very good, like the one about the woman and the mine strike.
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LibraryThing member MrsLee
A collection of short stories, some of which are set in the southern United States, some in Arizona, a couple elsewhere. There is no denying that Kingsolver is a masterful writer, but like many a modern writer, she leaves me empty in these stories. In the normal run of things, I would have given
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this a two star rating. That I give it three and a half stars is a tip of the hat to the quality of her writing craft.

The settings and characters are compelling; for anyone who enjoys dwelling on the tawdry, mundane, dreary nature of life, these stories will not disappoint. Here is a run-down of my reactions to each story.

"Homeland" - Short, sweet, no answers, and yet it felt complete somehow.
"Blueprint" - Hmmm, so is this the way of all the stories? Rather depressing and up in the air? One, yes. Two, maybe. A pattern, no.
"Covered Bridges" - Ok, a respite from despondency. She is very good at describing places.
"Quality Time" - Eh, meh, Kinda boring.
"Stone Dreams" - Such beautiful scenery descriptions, and no moral depth at all in the characters.
"Survival Zones" - Now this one is interesting. I like it, although it isn't exactly uplifting or complete, there is much to be said between the lines.
"Islands on the Moon" - Painful character.
"Bereaved Apartments" - Good story. Why are they all such downers?
"Extinctions" - Whatever. Dreary.
"Jump-up-Day" - These stories all seem to want me to feel that they have resolved well, but they leave me empty, not full.
"Rose-Johnny" - More sad.
"Why I am a Danger to the Public" Meh. Skimmed, but couldn't handle one more downer.
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LibraryThing member LyndaInOregon
Kingsolver's finely-drawn characters and her ability to evoke a place and time sing through these dozen short stories. Each one catches its characters at a specific place and time and asks them to make decisions great and small.

From the title story, in which a young girl travels with her family to
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her aged grandmother's hometown, to the final piece dealing with an outspoken woman caught up in a bitter mining strike, the characters move through living, breathing landscapes as they deal with the conundrums life has dealt them.

This collection is well worth tracking down. Highly recommended.
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Awards

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

1989 (1e édition originale américaine, HarperCollins publishing, New York)
2004-05-07 (1e traduction et édition française, Littérature étrangère, Rivages)
2005-10-07 (Réédition française, Poche, Littérature étrangère, Rivages)

Physical description

256 p.; 5.5 inches

ISBN

0060917016 / 9780060917012

Local notes

fiction
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